"Already Lost Momentum"... Democratic Party's 'Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee' Starts Off with 'Squeaks'

Lee Jae-myung "Personnel Suitable for Integration and Performance"
Promised Full Authority to Innovation Committee
But Differences Already Arise Over Innovation Direction

The Democratic Party of Korea has nominated Professor Kim Eun-kyung of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School as the chairperson of the Innovation Committee to lead party reform, drawing attention to whether the 'Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee' can wield the reform sword. Amid ethical blemishes caused by allegations such as the money envelope scandal at the party convention and lawmaker Kim Nam-guk's virtual asset (coin) investment controversy, the party leadership has expressed its intention to grant full authority to the Innovation Committee. However, factional clashes over the direction of reform have erupted from the outset.

According to the Democratic Party on the 17th, Professor Kim plans to devise the personnel composition and roles of the innovation body this weekend without any public appearances. The Innovation Committee is expected to conclude its activities around the regular National Assembly session in September, when the full-scale general election phase begins.

Earlier, at the party's Supreme Council meeting the previous day, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said, "I will entrust everything from the name to the role so that the innovation body can renew our party's politics," adding, "Our leadership will fully accept the reform proposals of the innovation body to create a newly reborn Democratic Party, a strong Democratic Party." This reaffirmed his intention to grant full authority to the Kim Eun-kyung Innovation Committee.

Professor Kim Eun-kyung of the Department of Law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, former Director (Vice President) of the Consumer Protection Department at the Financial Supervisory Service. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

However, opinions within the party were divided over whether the Innovation Committee would indeed be guaranteed full authority as Leader Lee declared. Jang Kyung-tae, a pro-Lee Supreme Council member, said in an SBS radio interview, "If the innovation body thoroughly reviews and makes public proposals, I think both the leadership and lawmakers will feel some pressure," adding, "Just making proposals itself is a significant authority."

On the other hand, a first-term lawmaker within the party criticized, "It is unlikely that an academic-origin innovation chairperson can properly engage in internal party matters such as candidate nominations," and said, "I believe the Innovation Committee has already lost momentum."

Especially among the anti-Lee (non-Lee Jae-myung) faction, calls for a mid-term evaluation of Lee's leadership have emerged. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jong-min said in a KBS radio interview the previous day, "It is time to make a comprehensive judgment on whether the Lee Jae-myung leadership can win next year's general election," adding, "With the regular National Assembly session, it will be difficult to attempt party changes from September to the end of the year," and "We need to have in-depth discussions by the end of August."

Factions also differ in their claims regarding the role of the Innovation Committee. Pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae said at the Supreme Council meeting the previous day, "The Lee Jae-myung leadership was elected on the pledge to create a party where members are the owners," and asked Innovation Committee Chairperson Kim Eun-kyung to "do her best to build a democratic party that communicates well with members and where members are the owners." This aligns with the pro-Lee faction's previous proposal to reduce the influence of delegates and increase that of party members at the party convention.

Conversely, anti-Lee Supreme Council member Go Min-jeong said in a CBS radio interview that day, "While achieving internal party democratization is necessary, I think it is much more important to consider what kind of opposition party the Democratic Party should establish itself as," adding, "The Innovation Committee was launched to find answers to what the public wants from the Democratic Party and what transformation is needed to be reborn as a beloved party."

Opinions also differ on whether Professor Kim, who is considered a 'pro-Moon Jae-in faction' (pro-Moon) figure, is the right person to unify factions. During the Moon administration in 2020, Kim served as the first female Deputy Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (Director of the Financial Consumer Protection Bureau), and is classified as a pro-Moon figure. Leader Lee introduced Chairperson Kim as "someone who can maintain the tone of unity well while producing new reform achievements for the Democratic Party." However, lawmaker Go responded to the claim that Kim is supported by the pro-Moon faction by saying, "Am I not pro-Moon or is my information lacking?" and "This is something I am hearing for the first time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.